They say the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) and
United Nations Global Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling (GHS)
use outmoded hazard-based schemes to evaluate cancer risks to the public.
"This
hazard-identification only process places chemicals with widely differing
potencies and very different modes of action into the same category," Alan
Boobis, professor in the Department of Medicine at Imperial College in London,
said in a news release.
"The consequences are unnecessary health scares
and unnecessary diversion of public funds."
The
commentary recommends updating evaluation approaches by international
governmental organizations to use internationally accepted methodologies that
are already used by government regulatory bodies for cancer risk assessment.
“Among
those approaches are those of the World Health Organization's International
Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS),” the researchers say.
